Clemson defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence just wrapped up his freshman season for the Tigers, but the 6-foot-5, 340-pound All-American is already picking up NFL Draft hype.
Fox Sports college football reporter Bruce Feldman, who has been hanging out at the NFL Combine all weekend, reported one NFL coach said Lawrence would be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Had an NFL coach tell me last night: "Mark it down now. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft is gonna be (#Clemson DT) Dexter Lawrence."
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) March 4, 2017
That's a bold statement.
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There's plenty of reason for NFL executives to be giddy about Lawrence's ceiling, though. The Wake Forest native earned All-American honors from ESPN and USA Today while also earning ACC Rookie of the Year among other awards.
In his first season out of high school, Lawrence was disruptive and impactful closing out the season with 7 sacks and 63 tackles.
The Clemson star thrived in pass situations, while penetrating through opposing offensive lines as a run stuffer. Maybe it's not a stretch to project Lawrence as the best player of his class. He should only get better with time and experience.
